Delimber-debarker

ABSTRACT

The delimber-debarker comprises a suitable frame, a cutter carriage carried in the frame and being driven by a motor through a sprocket and chain, a plurality of cutting heads mounted on journaled shafts provided with pinions operable to engage a ring gear on the carriage and to drive the cutting heads carried in each of the respective cutters, and a feed assembly carried on the frame and being operable to drive a log through the carriage and between the cutters.

United States Patent Carson et al. Feb. 5, 1974 [5 DELIMBER-DEBARKER 2,779,363 l/l967 Laughton 144/208 E 2,646,092 7/1953 Kolpe et al 144/208 E [76] Inventors: Loren A. Carson, 1501 S. Capital 2 591 751 4 1952 k 144 208 E Blvd. Boise Idaho 83706; R. S. 1 0c Tremewan 4405 Gauge B0156 Primary Examiner--Andrew R. Juhasz Idaho 83704; Yanke Assistant Examiner--W. D. Bray Estate B0156 Idaho Attorney, Agent, or Firm-John W. Kraft [22] Filed: Sept. 15, 1972 ABSTRACT The delimber-debarker comprises a suitable frame, a [21] Appl' 289715 cutter carriage carried in the frame and being driven by a motor through a sprocket and chain, a plurality [52] U.S. Cl 144/208 E, 144/242 R of cutting heads mounted on journaled shafts provided [51] Int. Cl B27] 1/00 with pinions operable to engage a ring gear on the car- [58] Field of Search 144/208 R, 208 E, 242 R riage and to drive the cutting heads carried in each of the respective cutters, and a feed assembly carried on [56] References Cited the frame and being operable to drive a log through UNITED STATES PATENTS Marks 144/208 E the carriage and between the cutters.

3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTED 9174 saw 2 BF 2 DELIMBER-DEBARKER FIELD OF INVENTION The present invention relates to mechanical debarking apparatus and more particularly to debarking apparatus provided with rotary, revolving cutting means and rectilinear feed means.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Apparatus commonly used and employed in delimbing and debarking logs may be conveniently divided into twovmain types: those in which the log is driven relative to the cutter, and those in which the cutter is driven relative to the log. The former type employs a reinforced blade, usually fixedly mounted upon a frame, and feed means operable to force a log against the cutting blade. This type has found limited success because of the strength required of frame and cutter materials, and because of the power required in such apparatus. The latter type has included a variety of saws, rotary shavers, pinmills, bit cutters, and the like, which may be fixedly mounted to a frame or may be mounted on floating" mounting means. In particular, rotating cutting heads have been provided on rotating drums operable to move a rotating cutting means about the circumference of the log. While this type of apparatus is the most successful, it has been heretofore unreliable in operation because it has been limited by the means mounting the cutter and by relatively fragile cutter designs, such as pinmills and chisel cutters. The means mounting these cutters have commonly included hingedly mounting a suitably driven cutter at the terminal end of an arm carrying the cutter. This mounting means tends to rest the weight of the cutter and of its arm on the log, rather than stopping the cutter at a predetermined point on the log. It has also been found that this hingelike mounting means may tend to damage the machine, should the log become misaligned, or should the log have an irregular exterior profile. It has also been found that feeding means in such rotating, revolving delimbers tend to require a multiplicity of feeding drivers disposed in several planes to urge and sup port the log through the delimber. As before, should the log become misaligned, or should the log have an irregular exterior profile, the log may become damaged.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide delimbing and debarking apparatus operable to carry cutters which rotate on their axis -on shafts and which revolve about the circumference of a log.

It is a further object of this invention to provide rotating cutters on a revolving carriage suitably supported on a frame, which are mounted to conform freely to the profile of a log.

It is another object of this invention is to provide feed means operable to feed a log through the carriage which may urge and support the log with minimum mechanical structure and in which the log is not held rigidly in its travel through the carriage.

These and other objects shall become apparent from the description following, it being understood that modifications may be made without affecting the teachings of the invention here set out.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Generally, the delimber-debarker comprises a suitable frame, a cutter carriage carried in the frame and being driven by a motor through a sprocket and chain, a plurality of cutting heads mounted on journaled shafts provided with pinions operable to engage a ring gear on the carriage and to drive the cutting heads carried in each of the respective cutters, and a feed assembly carried on the frame and being operable to drive a log through the carriage and between the cutters. The cutters are driven by journally mounted shafts having pinions operable to engage a ring gear provided on the frame to drive the shafts by the rotation of the carriage relative to the frame.

A more thorough ahd comprehensive understanding may be had from the detailed description of the preferred embodiment when read in connection with the drawings forming a part of this specification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a left front top perspective view of the delimber-debarker of this invention with a log shown in broken lines for illustrative purposes.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the carriage subassembly of ,the cutter assembly of this invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the lines 33 of the FIG. 2 showing the interior configuration of the cutters with a fragmentary log shown in broken lines for illustrative purposes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to the FIG. 1, the delimber-debarker of this invention is shown to advangage and generally identified by the numeral 10. The delimber-debarker 10 comprises a frame 1 l, a cutter assembly 12, and a feed assembly 13. The frame 11 provides a base means and a support means for the assemblies 12 and 13, and may be fabricated of suitable combinations of beams, tubular sections, and plate, hereinafter described. It is to be understood that the frame 11 is readily adaptable to a portable delimber-debarker 10.

The cutter assembly 12 includes a cutter carriage subassembly 14, a drive means 15, and a plurality of cutters 16. The cutter carriage subassembly 14 includes a pair of parallelly and distally disposed ring-like plates 17 and 17'. Each cutter 16 is carried on a shaft 18 carried by -joumal bearings 19 mounted to the interior sides of the ring-like plates 17 and 17'. The ring-like plates 17 and 17, thus joined, are operable to rotate within the frame 11 with the forward ring plate 17 riding on its outer circumference on suitable support bearings 20 mounted on the frame 11, and with the rearward ring plate 17' being provided with a suitable ringtype bearing means 22 operable to ride on the outer circumference of a shaft 22 which is fastened at its rearward terminal end to an upstanding plate 23 of the frame 11, as shown in the FIGS. 1 and 3. The shaft 22' is mounted in a hole 23' of the frame plate 23, and has a suitable interior diameter to permit passage of a rectilinear log 24 of a predetermined diameter. Likewise, a centrally disposed hole 25 in the plate 17 is operable to permit rectilinear passage of the log 24, as shown in the FIG. 1.

The carriage subassembly 14 is driven by a cutter drive 15 which includes a circumferential sprocket 26 disposed about the outer circumference of the ring plate 17', a drive sprocket 27, and a chain 28 connecting the sprockets 26 and 27. The drive sprocket 27 is driven by a motor 29. The drive sprocket 27 may be mounted on a gear box 30 which may be selectively controllable as to its output speed. The motor 29 may be powered from a variety of sources, such as a suitable subcontained power unit 29.

The cutters 16 are driven by rotation of the respective shafts 18. As shown to advantage in the FIG. 3, a typical shaft 18 projects through the ring bearing 19 and rearwardly of the ring plate 17 through another ring bearing 19'. The projecting terminal end of the shaft 18 is provided with a fixed pinion gear 32. The pinion gear 32 meshes with a ring-gear 33 fastened to the forwardmost terminal side of the upstanding frame plate 23.

As shown in the FIGS. 2 and 3, each of the cutters 16 is carried on a pair of parallelly disposed housing plates 34 journally mounted by means of bushings or bearings 35 on the respective shaft 18. Each of the cutters 16 includes a rotary cutter head 36 fastened to a shaft 36' between the interior terminal sides of the pair of plates 34. The geometrical axis, formed by the respective axial centers of the shafts 18, and the heads 36 of the cutters 16 are intended to be disposed in the same direction about the center of the carriage assembly 12 tangent to the circumference of the log 24. Each cutter 16 is provided with a pivotally mounted shockabsorbing urging or tensioning means fastened to the ring plate 17' and one of the walls 34. As shown in the FIG. 3, a typical head 36 is driven by a drive sprocket 37 fastened on the shaft 18, a sprocket 38 mounted to the head cutter shaft 36', and a chain 39 connecting the sprockets 37 and 38. Each head 36 comprises a horizontally disposed, substantially cylindrical body 41 having a cone-shaped tip 41 at its forwardmost portion and a plurality of parallelly and distally disposed projecting cutter bits 42. In operation, as the carriage subassembly 14 is driven within the frame 11 by the drive means 15, the head 36 of the cutter 16 is driven by the rotation of the shafts 18, as set out above. It is to be understood that the rearward rectilinear travel of the log 24 is operable to cam the cutter head 36 outwardly to ride over the outer circumference of the log 24.

Referring again to the FIG. 1, the feed assembly 13 is intended to feed the log 24 rearwardly and rectilinearly through the carriage subassembly 14 of the cutter assembly 12. The feed assembly 13 may be conveniently divided into a forward feed subassembly 43 and a rearward feed subassembly 44. The forward feed subassembly 43 comprises a pair of parallelly, transversely disposed sprocket shafts 45 and 45 journally mounted on the frame 11, one in front of the other, such that the log 24 is operable to pass over both of the shafts 45 and 45. Each of the shafts 45 and 45 includes log-urging means, such as respective pairs of sprocket-like wheels 46 and 46'. The shafts 45 and 45 include sprockets 47 and 47', respectively, and a chain 48 connecting the sprockets 47 and 47'. The forward subassembly 43 is provided with an urging idler 49. The idler 49 is pivotally mounted, perpendicularly distally above the shafts 45 and 45' on the line of travel of the log 24 to a stanchion 50 of the frame l1.'The idler 49 includes a journally mounted roller 49' disposed between a pair of forwardly disposed urging arms 52, and is provided with a pair of idler sprockets 49". The pivotally mounted arms 52 may be urged by means, such as a pneumatic cell 53. The pneumatic cell 53 is operable to permit turning or retrieving the-log 24 during operation of the apparatus 10 here disclosed. The rearward subassembly 44 is generally similar to the forward subassembly 43, but is generally symmetrically opposite to the forward subassembly 43 with respective sprocket shafts 54 and 54' mounted on the frame 11, similarly to the sprockets 45 and 45. The rearward subassembly 44 is driven by a sprocket chain 55 and drive sprocket 56 by a motor 57, which in turn drives the forward subassembly 43. The sprocket shafts 45 and 54 are connected to a sprocket chain (not shown) housed in a cover 58 disposed parallel to the carriage subassembly 14. The rearward subassembly 44 is supplied with an urging idler (not shown) mounted on the rearward terminal side of the plate 23 distally above the hole 23, similar to the urging idler 49 of the forward subassembly 43. In operation, a log 24 is operable to pass over the sprocket shafts 45 and 45, under the idler 49, through the centrally disposed hole 25 of the forward ring plate 17, between the cutters l6, and through the cavity of the bearing 22 and shaft 22, as set out above; and to be urged rectilinearly and rearwardly over the shafts 54 and 54 and under the rearward subassemblys idler (not shown).

Having thus described in detail a preferred apparatus which embodies the concepts and principles of the invention and which accomplishes the various objects, purposes and aims thereof, it is to be appreciated and will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many physical changes could be made in the apparatus without altering the inventive concepts and principles embodied therein. Hence, it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited only to the extent indicated in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A delimber-debarker comprising a frame;

a cutter assembly including a carriage subassembly having a pair of parallelly disposed ring-like plates, each of said plates having a hole of suitable diameter to permit a log to pass said plate, said ring-like plates riding on said frame on suitable journal bearing means, said plates being driven with revolving motion by means of a sprocket gear disposed about the outer circumference of one of said ring-like plates and a chain connected to a suitable source of power, cutters mounted on shafts, said shafts being journally mounted to said ring-like plates of said carriage subassembly, said cutters having a pair of parallelly disposed housing plates journally mounted by means of bushings disposed distally from the terminal ends of said plates to each of said cutter shafts, each of said cutters including a rotary cutter head fastened to a head shaft journally mounted between the terminal ends of each of the pairs of said housing plates, said cutter shaft and said head shaft of each of said cutters being connected by sprockets and chain, each of said cutter shafts being provided on a portion projecting on the exterior terminal side of one of said carriage plates with a pinion operable to be driven by a ringgear fixedly mounted on a suitable stanchion of said frame; and

a feed assembly including a forward feed subassembly operable to drive said log through said ring-like plate, said forward feed subassembly including a pair of parallelly transversely disposed sprocket shafts journally mounted on said frame such that said log is operable to pass over both of said shafts, said shafts including log-urging means, each of said urging means including a pair of distally disposed sprocket-like wheels, and an urging idler mounted distally above said driven feed shafts on the line of travel of said log, said urging idler being mounted on a stanchion of said frame on a pivotally mounted arm having means operable to urge said idler against said log, said idler including a journally mounted shaft having a pair of distally disposed sprocket-like wheels, and a rearward feed subassembly including a pair of suitably driven distally disposed shafts journally mounted to said frame operable to receive said log and to carry said log over said rearward feed shafts, said shafts including a pair of distally disposed sprocket-like wheels and an urging idler mounted on a stanchion of said frame on a pivotally mounted arm having urging means to urge said idler against said log, said forward feed subassembly and said rearward feed subassembly being driven in the same direction of rotation. 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said urging means of said urging idlers include a pneumatic cell.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said rotary cutter heads comprises a horizontally disposed substantially cylindrical body having a cone-shaped tip at its forwardmost portion, and a plurality of parallelly distally disposed projecting cutter bits disposed rectilinearly and substantially coextensively with said cylindrical body of said cutter head. 

1. A delimber-debarker comprising a frame; a cutter assembly including a carriage subassembly having a pair of parallelly disposed ring-like plates, each of said plates having a hole of suitable diameter to permit a log to pass said plate, said ring-like plates riding on said frame on suitable journal bearing means, said plates being driven with revolving motion by means of a sprocket gear disposed about the outer circumference of one of said ring-like plates and a chain connected to a suitable source of power, cutters mounted on shafts, said shafts being journally mounted to said ring-like plates of said carriage subassembly, said cutters having a pair of parallelly disposed housing plates journally mounted by means of bushings disposed distally from the terminal ends of said plates to each of said cutter shafts, each of said cutters including a rotary cutter head fastened to a head shaft journally mounted between the terminal ends of each of the pairs of said housing plates, said cutter shaft and said head shaft of each of said cutters being connected by sprockets and chain, each of said cutter shafts being provided on a portion projecting on the exterior terminal side of one of said carriage plates with a pinion operable to be driven by a ringgear fixedly mounted on a suitable stanchion of said frame; and a feed assembly including a forward feed subassembly operable to drive said log through said ring-like plate, said forward feed subassembly including a pair of parallelly transversely disposed sprocket shafts journally mounted on said frame such that said log is operable to pass over both of said shafts, said shafts including log-urging means, each of said urging means including a pair of distally disposed sprocket-like wheels, and an urging idler mounted distally above said driven feed shafts on the line of travel of said log, said urging idler being mounted on a stanchion of said frame on a pivotally mounted arm having means operable to urge said idler against said log, said idler including a journally mounted shaft having a pair of distally disposed sprocket-like wheels, and a rearward feed subassembly including a pair of suitably driven distally disposed shafts journally mounted to said frame operable to receive said log and to carry said log over said rearward feed shafts, said shafts including a pair of distally disposed sprocket-like wheels and an urging idler mounted on a stanchion of said frame on a pivotally mounted arm having urging means to urge said idler against said log, said forward feed subassembly and said rearward feed subassembly being driven in the same direction of rotation.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said urging means of said urging idlers include a pneumatic cell.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said rotary cutter heads comprises a horizontally disposed substantially cylindrical body having a cone-shaped tip at its forwardmost portion, and a plurality of parallelly distally disposeD projecting cutter bits disposed rectilinearly and substantially coextensively with said cylindrical body of said cutter head. 